ZR1 Tires...which are the best

[paperclerk101]

Best hands down...
Best for the $$...

I'm not racing the car, well not on a track anyway, just all the Stang heads in my neighborhood...Buying new tires next year and want to get it right.

Budget is $1000-$1200 for the tires delivered to my house. Then likely $200 to have them put on.

I like the Goodyear F1 all weather version (I forget the other #'s) These were $980 or something delived from Tire Rack to my door.

Let me know..Thanks

 

[JimVette]

I bought the F1 GS D3's and what a difference than the old factory tires. Your problem might be getting caught in the snow in winter. They are not recommended for snow. Great in dry and rain, they hook up very nicely.

 

[DMark]

I like the BF Goodrich KDs mostly because they just "look-right" on my ZR-1 from a retro 90s era point of view.

 

[74bigblock]

I like the BF Goodrich KDs mostly because they just "look-right" on my ZR-1 from a retro 90s era point of view.

I run the 315/35 17 KD's on my 98 T/A. The tire was meant for the car.

 

[Fort94z]

I have the Goodyear GS D3. Great tire.

 

[rkreigh]

michelin pilot sport cups here.

they need to heat up a little, but once the do they stick like
grim death very aggressive barely streetable tire

I run the 285 18 fronts and 345 18 back and they look huge but
oh so right.

they hunt and dart like no ones biz on rough pavement though

be prepared!!!

 

[Hib Halverson]

For all-round performance driving, the Goodyear F1 GS-D3 is by far and away the best choice. Take a look at the recent Car and Driver tire test, which confirms this.

If you're a very aggressive street driver or occasional track day competitor and you don't drive much in the wet, the Goodyear F1 Supercar is the best choice.

 

[paperclerk101]

eagle F1

is much more expensive though...correct.

 

[Aurora40]

is much more expensive though...correct.

It would be in the budget of $1200 you gave, though. Will you drive in rain or other bad weather? Are there any other factors you care about, like country of origin, cool tread pattern, etc?

I personally think the F1 Supercars seem like the ultimate stock-sized tire for the ZR-1. But the price difference over g-force KD's is offputting to me. I'm still not sure what I'll end up getting, but I'll need tires probably next year.

 

[tomtom72]

Just two cents more...

...on the D3's. I have them & they are great in the rain...if that's important for you. It was for me & I'm not sorry at all that I bought them. The wet grip & directional control and the resistance to hydroplainning is very satisfying.

If you don't plan on rain use then they are a bit noisy due to the pattern being so open. They also are a bit darty on rough or uneven pavement so you have to pay attention. The expansion joints and wear patterns in roads, the ones parallel to travel direction, grab the tire & you have to correct, in the dry & not so bad in the wet.

They are outstanding, JMHO, in going thru standing water though. The feel doesn't leave the steering wheel if you hit a puddle or are on a road with alot of water on it. They give a very secure & controlled feeling at sane speeds, say below 80 in a steady rain that leaves water on the road in sheets. The breaking & accleration response is also very good in those conditions. Overall a very good rain tire that works well in the dry. I can't say anything about how they hook up from a standing start but they will break loose a bit on dusty concrete in a hard run thru 1st & 2nd otherwise they have great straight line grip to me. To me they seem to be very good in dry road handling if you get "enthusiastic" in the twisties. Although I'm not qualified to really speak about that except to say they seem to have more than I have in ability and nerve. They don't break away suddenly even if you make a wrong choice about what to do going into a cornner. They let you know in plenty of time that you messed up. You can feel a slight slide and the chassis start to twist and unload a corner of the car and even a little squeal. I think it's the tire's way of letting you know you made a bad decission. The nice thing is that they don't break away quickly. They give you some time to back out without snapping loose.

Sorry to be so long.

Good luck in your search!
Tom

 

[paperclerk101]

decisions decisions

decisions.

Thanks Tom. I don't intend on driving in the rain, but I don't control mother nature. Drove 4 hours back from Carlisle in it, plus Saturday at the show.

I like the look and price of the D3's and have gotten only positive feedback regarding them.

DC

 

[tomtom72]

Hey DC I would get the F1's if rain isn't the issue. I still have my OEM tires on the salad shooters & I may put a set of F1's on there when the D3's get close to being toast. The one thing that occured to me is that the D3's may get very scary if the tread depth gets to less than 1/2 gone. They would be great in the dry at that point but wet grip I'll bet would be gone.

These tires are all about the same price, give or take a few hundred. I think if you don't intend 10K miles /yr then any tire will get hard before they wear out. To me that is the hard part of spending the big $ on the G/Y or Mich's. Unless you do miles you don't get all of the tread life before they get hard. When they get hard these cars get scary! Mine still had the OE rubber & I thought something was wrong with the car! They were so hard there was no grip in any direction. The car slid all over in turns & just spun'em in a straight line. Not any fun. A lot of guys swear by the Simittos(sp) because they are less $ & wear out before they get hard but they're cheap & give good grip in the dry. Just a thought. I pondered the choice a bit but then I figured ya get what ya pay for so I went with the D3's. Next time I may think a bit but for me the wet grip is really important so there isn't much choice in cheap tires. The rain & hydroplanning bother me too much & I hate getting caught off base. I don't have the skills to push the car so I don't. The D3's work for me but I doubt that they would work for a skilled driver in the dry.

Tom

 

[Aurora40]

Hey DC I would get the F1's if rain isn't the issue. I still have my OEM tires on the salad shooters & I may put a set of F1's on there when the D3's get close to being toast. The one thing that occured to me is that the D3's may get very scary if the tread depth gets to less than 1/2 gone. They would be great in the dry at that point but wet grip I'll bet would be gone.

Tom, just FYI but both the GS-D3 and Supercars are branded "F1". There are a few variations of the Eagle F1 tire. When you say "I would get the F1's if rain isn't the issue" do you mean you'd get the F1 Supercar tires instead of the F1 GS-D3's if rain weren't an issue?

 

[tomtom72]

My mistake

Sorry guys, Bob & DC, et al, I did mean to say the supercar G/Y's instead of just F1's. Yes I would get the supercar's if rain wasn't so much of an issue to me. I live in an area where a good deal of roads have drainage problems. Some just flood but most are old enough to have "tracks" worn in them and a lot just stink at draining water when it rains. This makes for some very unpleasant driving unless you got real skinny tires or you have good wet runners.

I learned real quick on my 72 vette about wide tires that don't drain water to the side instead of just throwing it to the rear. Don't get me wrong I'm no expert on tires...far from it but I kinda know what works when I look at a tread pattern I can tell pretty much which way the tire is gonna throw the water. If you look at F1(FIA) wet tires they drain to the sides not to the rear so much. The rooster tail ya see in an F1 race is mainly due to air flow around the car picking up the water thrown outward by the tires. Large grooves with no interruptions that spiral to the sidewall from the center are what ya need for good wet grip. btw I was at Costco the other day & Bridgestone intro'ed a tire that has almost the same pattern as the D3's, I don't know if it comes in Z sizes though.

Sorry for my not naming thing correctly.
Tom

 

[paperclerk101]

decisions again

I only drive 2,000 or less per year.

I basically was decided on the GS d3's but that price of like $550 delivered on the sumitto's (hahah sp also) is very interesting.

How do they stick in dry anyone....

DC

 

[90 Corvette ZR-1]

since you decided on the GSD3's I'll tell you they hook like glue on the street. I have already bitten my tongue while hitting second with them.

 

[ZR-1 Fanatic]

I have the GS D3's and love them. I autocross the ZR-1, and drive it to work almost every day. Fabulous tires. I have 10,000 + on the fronts, and they still look new. I also like the tread pattern, and have had people tell me they're mesmerizing when following me at low speed (that doesn't happen very often!).

 

[paperclerk101]

GY

Will likely get them right after Christmas, but probably won't put them on until Mar/Apr. 3rd rain.

DC